


Nightmare Games

by riddlemepenguin



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 23:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17611286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riddlemepenguin/pseuds/riddlemepenguin
Summary: What starts as a day of skipping school brings these two more grief than they could have ever imagined.





	Nightmare Games

**Author's Note:**

> me @ me: but you don't even like high school aus

"What do you remember about your mother?"

"She was beautiful, and kind. She did everything she could for me."

"What about your father?"

"He... he was awful. Screamed at me, beat my mother. He hid behind a facade. The public never once suspected what their dear old tailor got up to at home." He practically spit the words out.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's more common than not." A chair creeked softly, papers shuffled around.

"Being born into high society must have put a lot of pressure on you from a very early age. How did you deal with it?"

"As well as I could I guess. Father would tolerate nothing less than perfection in front of guests. One time, when I was three, I remember my mother accidentally spilled some wine on father's sleeve. He laughed it off when it happened, but in bed that night I could hear the screams coming from their room. I don't know what he did to her, and I never saw any visible wounds, but I knew he hurt her.

Oh, you were asking me how I dealt with everything. Mostly by pushing everything down. My anger, and fear. Til I felt nothing. I've gotten quite good at."

"There's no rush, we can talk about what you want to talk about, at any time."

"I don't want to be here. Talking about my problems isn't going to change my situation. My parents are still dead, I have no access to my inheritance until I'm eighteen, and I still live in that god awful boys home!" Oswald's chest heaved with the breaths he took, his hands gripping the desk in front of him until his knuckles turned white.

"I understand, let's end today's session here. I want you to think about how you can better cope with your anger, instead of letting it bottle up inside, only to violently burst out. I'll schedule for next week, you may go back to class, Mr. Cobblepot."

 

* * *

 

Oswald exited the small office of the school's therapist. It was only his second visit and he couldn't stand it. Making him dredge up the past, he didn't want to think about it. His parents died when he was ten years old. More like they were murdered, but the police didn't believe him. Oswald knew what he saw, and what he saw was his parents getting shot in the head. He never saw who did it though. The police ruled it as murder-suicide. His father going nuts and ending his life, but not before taking his beloved wife with him. What bullshit.

The air inside the school building was as cold as the air outside, so he pulled his black hoodie tighter. He missed the days of wearing three piece suits, even if his father was literal dog shit, he was the best tailor in all of Gotham. Growing up, Oswald never wore anything but the best. His mother would compliment him every day on his dashing good looks. He knew now that his mother was blinded by love for him.

Ever since he moved into a boys only orphanage, he has dealt with the real, cruel world. The other boys always picked on him, called him names. All he learned from his father, how to protect himself emotionally, really paid off when dealing with all the bullies. If only he was strong enough to fight them off.

Oswald walked down the winding halls of the Gotham public high school, and made his way to the library on the second floor. Going to class was out of the question after that farce. He needed somewhere quiet to process his thoughts, and what better place than the least used area of the school. Only the nerds used the library regularly.

Speaking of, there in the farthest corner of the room, sat the biggest one Oswald had ever known. When standing, he was a tall, skinny thing. He had slightly curly brown hair, prominent cheekbones and a thick pair of glasses, and he was the cutest boy Oswald had ever seen. Edward Nashton looked up just as Oswald walked in through the doors, and broke out into a smile. His heartbeat started thudding in his ears the closer he got to the table Edward was sitting at.

Oswald took the seat opposite Ed, and tried to calm his racing heart. He only mildly succeeded.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"

Oswald gave Edward a flat look before answering, "exhausted. Please Edward, I'm tired. I don't want to use any more brain cells than is necessary right now, okay?"

Ed's smiled deflated a little, but then he took a good hard look at his friend. What he saw was slumped shoulders and pale skin and sad, sad eyes.

"Okay, Oswald." Ed looked back down at the book he was reading, unsure of where to go from here. He was unsure about a lot of things, but not about his friendship with Oswald. So, he decided he was going to try to cheer up the other boy.

"Hey, what do think about going to the museum?"

"It sounds nice, but I don't have the money."

"Don't worry about that. It's on me. We could go right now!"

"Why Ed, that's so... adventurous of you." The Ed he knew, thought he knew, would never have suggested something like this. He was a stickler for the rules, needed them even. Structure made him feel safe, for him to suggest something so out of the ordinary worried Oswald. Perhaps something happened at home again. Rage coiled in his heart, wanting to lash out, but he stopped it. He didn't want to upset Edward.

Edward wet his bottom lip. "I am adventurous! Just last week I walked with you to that club."

"Yeah, but you stayed outside while I went in and got drunk!"

"And it was a good thing I did. Who knows what would have happened to you if you tried to walk home by yourself? Just... Let's go to the museum. Right now."

"You want to skip school? Who are you and what have you done with my Edward?" Damn, a slip of the tongue. Oswald watched Ed's face for a reaction, but all he found in those brown eyes was a plan being hatched. Edward started mumbling to himself, before abruptly standing up, a mischievous look on his face. He then systematically put his book and homework away in his roughed up brown messenger bag.

"Come on Oswald, no one will care if we're gone the rest of the day."

"Oh, what the hell."

**Author's Note:**

> This started as an exercise in dialogue. Idk if I'm going to finish it, but I've been working on the second chapter instead of the third part of my demon Oswald AU lol


End file.
